Sheffield Council count cost of translation services

Spending on translation and interpretation by Sheffield Council has more than doubled in three years.

A sharp rise has also been recorded in spending by other South Yorkshire councils.

Figures released by Sheffield Council showed it spent more than £200,000 in 2011-12 – an increase of 125 per cent on the £93,000 spent in 2009-10.

Meanwhile, Doncaster’s expenditure rose by nearly a third from just over £22,000 to nearly £29,000, despite a 2009 election pledge by Mayor Peter Davies to stamp out the practice.

The cost of translation has risen sharply despite huge cuts to other council services in the same period - totalling £140 million in Sheffield.

A Sheffield Council spokeswoman said: “There has been a significant increase in the city’s non-English speaking community over the last few years, especially the European Union migrant community, which explains increased demand.